schollhorn



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST L. SCHOLLHORN, OF NEIV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WM. SCHOLLHORN & CO., OF SAME PLACE.

PLIERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,105, dated June 20, 1893. Application filed August 21, 1891. Renewed May 24, 1893. Serial No. 475,382. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST L. SoHoLLHoRN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pliers; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the class of pliers in which the line of movement of the jaws in opening and closing is parallel, and has for its object to strengthen and to generally improve the construction and operation of the jaws, to strengthen the pliers at the points where the handles cross and are riveted, and to improve the grasping portion of the handles so that they will not hurt the hand in opening and will present a surface of wood to the hand both in opening and closing, the pressure both in opening and closing being upon the wood portion of the handles, the latter being firmly held and protected by metallic side plates.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is aside elevation of my novel pliers in the open position; Fig. 2, an edge view corresponding therewith and showing a construction in which the grasping portion of the handles consists of independent plates on opposite sides of the wood; Fig. 3, an edge view in the closed position showing a construction in which the grasping portions of the handles consist of metallic shells having openings through their outer sides, through which the convex outer surfaces of the wood project, and Fig. 4. is a detail view illustrating the construction of the jaw, pivoted block and the guide.

1 denotes the jaws having longitudinal openings 2; 3, the pivoted blocks, and at, the guides which extend from the pivoted blocks and engage the openings 2. The handles consist of metallic side pieces 5 and grasping portions 6 made of wood. In Figs. 1 and 2 the side pieces of each handle are shown as made independently of each other, and in Fig. 3 the two side pieces of each handle are shown as formed from a single piece of metal having the center punched out to permit the wood to extend through it, the two side pieces in Fig. 3 being connected by strips of metal 5*. The side pieces are extended forward beyond the wood portion of the handles and are connected together on opposite sides of'the jaws by means of pivots 7. In order to give the greatest possible amount of strength at the pivotal points of the handle, I curve the outer side piece of each handle outward sufficiently to receive the corresponding inner side piece of the other handle as clearly shown in Fig. 3, that is to say, supposing the operator to be holding the pliers in substantially the position indicated in Figs. 2, and 3, the left side of the upper handle would be curved over the straight left side of the lower handle and the right side of the lower handle would be curved over the straight right side of the upper handle. This construction equalizes the strain on both sides of the jaws in any position in which they can be used. Blocks 3 oscillate freely in the handles on pivots 8, and the jaws are secured at the top ends of the handles by pivots 9 and also oscillate freely on said pivots. In assembling guides 4. are placed in openings 2 after which pivots 8 and 9 are passed through the handles and the jaws and blocks respectively and headed down in the usual manner. The side pieces whether made as in Fig. 2 or in Fig. 3 are formed to the required shape in dies. The grasping portions 6 which are made of wood are formed in any suitable manner so as to fit closely between the side pieces where they are secured by rivets 10. The grasping portions extend entirely through the handles and project slightly beyond the metallic side pieces so that in use in grasping an article very little of the metallic portion comesvin contact with the hand, the pressure of the hand in lifting being entirely upon the wood grasping portions. The inner edges of the metallic side pieces are rounded as indicated in Fig.1 so as not to be sharp. In opening the pliers in the usual manner that is with the backs of the fingers of the right hand, the fingers come in contact with the wood grasping'portions only and not with the edges of the side pieces, so that it is rendered wholly unnecessary to wrap the handles with cloth or to take any precaution whatever to avoid hurting the hands in use:

Having thus described my invention, I clairn 1. The combination with the handles having side pieces substantially as shown and-described, of jaws pivoted between said side pieces at the ends thereof, said jaws being provided with openings 2, and blocks pivoted 5 between the side pieces and having guides engaging said openings so that said jaws are held parallel in opening and closing.

2. The combination withthejaws having side pieces 5, of blocks 3 pivoted at the lower to portions of the side pieces and having guides 4 and the jaws pivoted at the outer ends of the side pieces and having longitudinal openings to receive the guides as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with the pieces of the handles, of grasping portions 6 metallic side In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST L. SCI-IOLLHORN.

Witnesses:

A. M. Woosrnn,

NELLIE A. FRAWLEY. 

